Lewis Hamilton, one of the favourites to win the 2014 Formula One world championship, crashed his new Mercedes in testing only four hours after the car was unveiled.

It was 8.20am local time on a cold Andalucian morning, about an hour before a pale sun began to take some of the chill away from test track at Jerez, that Hamilton and his team-mate Nico Rosberg pulled the covers from their W05 challenger.

And it was about 12.30 when the first reports came through that track marshals were picking up pieces of debris at T1 after Hamilton had come off the circuit. He was unhurt.

Mercedes said that the accident was due to "car failure" and the early indications were that the problem had been caused by the front wing. Witnesses said they saw the front wing come off the car before Hamilton lost control and hit the tyre barrier. There was also damage to the suspension and front wheel.

Only five teams, Mercedes, Ferrari, Sauber, Toro Rosso and Force India, succeeded in trying out their cars in the first session of testing. Caterham are still completing their new model while Marussia's car is still on its way to Spain.